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Constitution Hill has actually been handed a main Flat ranking of 101 by the BHA handicapper following his 2nd all-weather triumph at Kempton recently.
The eight-time Grade 1-winning hurdler has actually changed effortlessly to the Flat this year in 2 1m4f novice races on the all-weather.
On his debut at Southwell in February, the nine-year-old scored by nine and a half lengths under Oisin Murphy and followed up with a two-length success at Kempton last Wednesday with Ryan Moore in the saddle.
BHA handicapper Adam Barnes stated: "Constitution Hill has been rated 101, which is a high figure for a horse coming out of novices. Potentially, it could end up being quite a lenient figure for a horse like him with the capability we understand he's received from the dives.
"He was such a classy hurdler and keeps a lot of that ability. It will be intriguing to see how high he can enter the Flat sphere."
Trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley were excited for another run at Kempton to get a handicap mark for Constitution Hill as they consider future targets. The idea has actually been the Group 3 John Porter Stakes at Newbury on April 18 - also over a mile and a half - could be an appropriate next race.
After Kempton, Moore indicated that distance matches, saying: "I think he's extremely comfortable at 12 [furlongs]"
Major handicaps such as the Ebor at York in August, for which Constitution Hill is 12-1 favourite with sponsors Sky Bet, and the Melbourne Cup in November have actually been touted as potential targets later.
Speaking on the BHA podcast, Barnes added: "Connections have mentioned the John Porter as the next target, which is a quite well-established Group 3. Generally speaking, you 'd want to be running to around 110-plus to get actually associated with a race like that.
"I saw William Haggas point out that horses like Hamish or Al Aasy might go there and they're 117 and 115 horses, so that offers you an idea of the level Constitution Hill will need to be at to win a race like that. Whether he wins or not, they'll have a lot of options, be they in Group races or excellent handicaps, in the season ahead."
In his Racing Post steady tour in Tuesday's edition, Karl Burke said he was also considering the John Porter for last year's French Group 2 winner Convergent.
The four-year-old colt, who has a main ranking of 116, was a three-and-a-half-length 3rd behind subsequent Derby winner Lambourn in the Chester Vase and was likewise a close 2nd in the German Derby.
Hamish was ranked 117 when winning the Newbury contest 2 years back, while in 2015 Divina Grace won it off 100, although she had a 4lb mares' allowance.
Following his Kempton success, William Hill made Constitution Hill an even-money possibility to win a Group race on the Flat this year, which would consist of the John Porter, and 12-1 to land a Group 1. There is currently no market for the John Porter, entries for which close on April 13.
Constitution Hill has actually been designated the very same 101 figure as tested staying handicappers such as Beylerbeyi, Stressfree and Paddy The Squire.
The six-year-old Beylerbeyi has that mark after winning last year's Cesarewitch, while the year-younger Stressfree has run regularly in Class 2 handicaps in between a mile and a quarter and a mile and 6 furlongs for the last 2 seasons.
Paddy The Squire, likewise aged 6, has arguably a more progressive profile having had less starts. He won 3 of his 6 races in 2015, completing off his season with a 5th (Stressfree in 3rd) in Haydock's Old Borough Cup
Analysis: 101 all but books Ebor place for Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill's opening Flat mark of 101 is high for a first score, if not uniquely so. You would regularly have horses rated greater making their handicap launching in the Free Handicap, which was run for the last time in 2022.
More to the point, Constitution Hill has most likely scheduled his ticket to the Ebor if connections select that route. In the last two years, the floor on that race has been a BHA mark of 95 and 90, and in the last decade just two times would 101 not have sufficed.
As it stands, he needs to enhance rather a bit to win that race. Constitution Hill's Racing Post Rating of 103 is just 2lb greater than his BHA mark. In 2025, running 2lb higher than your BHA figure would have won just 1.3 percent of Class 2 handicaps.
Constitution Hill needs to run again on the Flat before he is eligible for any heritage handicap. That qualifying run seems most likely to be in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury.
up because race might harm his Ebor opportunities. The BHA standard on the John Porter would put even a third-placed finisher someplace around the 110 mark in a typical year. So even to finish where the marketplace would likely anticipate at Newbury would ask for noteworthy improvement from Constitution Hill.
If that race does not go to plan, the consolation would be his connections having four months to get him all set. He would also have a mark that, while stiff on the face of it, would be extremely appealing on the basis of his imperious difficulties form.
Keith Melrose, betting editor
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